through sickness and health
by CanadaGrizzly
Summary: When Stacie faints on stage, causing Aubrey's anger, can Stacie find the courage to win Aubrey's heart AND tell the Bellas about her illness that has plagued her since childhood, that's she's worked so hard to keep hidden? If anyone can think of a better title PLEASE let me know. Set in pitch perfect one.
1. Aubrey I need you

Stacie walked onto the stage, her heels clicking. She stood in the formation, hating the fact that they had had no time to eat before they walked on stage. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Aubrey didn't like anyone eating before the performances. But with the medicine she was on, it could end up being a bad thing.

Dizzy. It hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt the stage spin, felt the ground like jello under her feet. Felt herself falling. And then, darkness.

 _seems to me the Bellas have bad luck performing John" Gail Abernathy said, turning to John,in the announcers booth._

 _"I think you're right Gail. This goes to show that women have NO place in the prestigious world of competitive a cappella. They ought to stick with the sewing circle."_

"Stacie! Wake up! Right now!" Stacie's eyes opened to see Aubrey's face inches away from her own. She blinked, then realized where they were. On the stage, at Garfield hall, at the city competition.

"Aubrey-" Stacie reached for Aubrey's hand, her head buzzing, Aubrey's face swaying in and out of her vision. "Aubrey...help..me-" She said, her voice weak. She felt a calming, cool hand on her shoulder, saw Chloe kneeling beside her on the stage. "Chloe-water-" she whispered.

"Get. Up." Aubrey snarled. "Get the Hell on your feet before I drag you!" Aubrey hissed, angrier than Stacie had ever seen her.

"Aubrey, give it a rest. She passed out. She could be hurt. You can't just expect her to-" Cynthia Rose protested, offering Stacie a hand, which she grudgingly accepted.

"We lost."Aubrey's voice was angry. "You. Lost. You. Stacie Conrad, lost our competition. " Her tone was deadly as they got on the bus. "She sits in back." Aubrey growled. "Alone."

Stacie lowered her head, refusing to cry until she hid herself from prying eyes. She stole a pleading glance at Aubrey, "I didn't mean to. I-I'm sorry-" She said softly. Her heart broke at Aubrey's rigid, unfeeling expression.

She lay in the seat, her head still swimming, every bump of the road sending searing pain through her head. She gripped the seat rest, knowing she'd soon have to take her lunch medicine, and she hadn't even had breakfast. Her stomach growled at the smell of the breakfast Aubrey had bought the others.

"Stacie-" She looked up, and saw Cynthia Rose beside her, taking advantage of Aubrey's nap to hand her a breakfast burrito. "Are you ok? Need anything?" She pulled a blanket over Stacie's shoulders, and ran a hand through her hair. "You ok? What happened back there?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. Really. I know it looks bad, but I promise I'm fine-" she said hastily. "Just didn't eat breakfast. Didn't have time." She sighed. "Will she get over it?"

"Who?AlphaBitch?" Cynthia Rose laughed. " I don't know. But that was cold, not buying you breakfast. That's why I got two." She smiled. "Why do you care what she thinks anyway?"

Stacie sighed. "I...just...don't want her to be angry at me." She saw Cynthia Rose's eyes widen.

"You like her, don't you?" She smirked. "I don't blame you. I'll help you get her, if you want-"

"Sure. The first thing I have to do is get her not mad at me." Stacie sighed, finishing the burrito, then reaching in her purse for the unmarked pill bottle.

"What's that?" Cynthia Rose asked, softly.

"Asprin. Just Asprin." Stacie lied easily.


	2. Blood and Medicine

Stacie entered the practice room, dressed in her running clothes, hoping she would be able to complete the day's cardio workout. She still felt dizzy, but she'd been sure to eat a good breakfast, and to take her medicine. She wore her hair up, in a pony tail, that she'd taken the time to curl into what she hoped Aubrey would think was a sophisticated style.

"Ok. Girls. Today we're running bleachers to start, and after half an hour we'll work on our dance routine." Aubrey's voice held an air of authority to it, and her eyes traveled coldly to Stacie. "We have a lot of ground to make up after Saturday's disaster."

Stacie hung her head, "Aubrey, it wasn't my fault-" She fell silent at an icy glare from Aubrey.

"I don't give a shit whose fault it was. I just care that YOUR actions caused us to lose the first competition of the SEASON!" Aubrey shouted, turning to glare at Cynthia Rose as she stepped in front of Stacie.

"Lay off Aubrey." She growled. "Lay. Off." For several minutes the Bellas were silent, watching the staring contest between CR and their captain.

"You know what? I changed my mind. We run the whole practice." Aubrey broke the stare, before ordering everyone to the bleachers. "And no horizontal running !" She called as Amy began inching toward the seats of the bleachers.

Stacie ran for what seemed like ages. She began to feel sick after about 30 laps, and by 40 she felt like passing out. She broke the line, and leaned against the bleachers, breathing heavily. "What the Hell are you doing?" Aubrey called from the bottom of the bleachers.

"Hey,Stacie, you ok?" Cynthia Rose put a hand on Stacie's lower back. "Talk to me. What's up?"

The world seemed to spin, and her stomach flipped.

"Stacie-what's wrong?" She heard Chloe ask, felt her hand firmly grasping her own.

"Hey-you sick again?" Amy's voice was gentle "I'm the best non registered nurse in Tasmania, with teeth."

"Stacie, can I get someone?" Beca asked.

"Stacie Conrad! It's just side cramps from running so much." Aubrey stood in front of her now, her voice cold and unfeeling. "If I have to tell you one more time-"

She threw up. She felt dizzy again, right afterwards, and allowed herself to fall back against Cynthia Rose.

"Oh my God!" Aubrey shouted, almost too shocked to speak. She raised her hand to hit Stacie, "how DARE you?" Her blouse was covered in red - streaked vomit, her face angry, no. Furious.

Cynthia Rose pulled Stacie away from Aubrey, while Chloe held Aubrey back.

"Didn't...mean to.." Stacie said weakly, shivering against Cynthia Rose, a snuggie around her shoulders, while Beca held a bottle of water to her lips. "Aubrey..Aubrey..." She repeated over and over, sobbing harder each time.

"Shut. Up. "Aubrey snarled, calm enough now not to hit Stacie, but nowhere near wanting to comfort her.

"I'm going to get her back to her dorm room, ok?" Cynthia Rose said.

* * *

Stacie was sleeping, finally. Cynthia Rose had gotten her to change clothes, and eat some soup before falling into bed.

She decided to use the restroom before she left Stacie's room, so she walked into the the small,cutely decorated bathroom. What she saw shocked her. No less than 14 medicine bottles sat on the sink and behind the toilet. Azodyl, Ventoquinol, Vicadin, among others.

"Take twice daily. With meals. "

"Take with breakfast to help with nausea."

"Side effects may include loss of consciousness, nausea and fatigue."

"Oh my God." Cynthia Rose gasped, as she backed out of the room, tears in her eyes. "I've gotta tell Aubrey."

* * *

Chloe helped a still angry and irate Aubrey to clean the puke off her blouse, once back in their dorm room. "You were a little harsh. "

"No" Aubrey shook her head, "I wasn't. "

Suddenly Chloe stopped scrubbing and looked up, shock in her eyes."Bree, this is streaked with blood!"


End file.
